Baxter - BV4253 B39 C78 1658

2. The Crucifying of the world, that fufficient ftrengthof our own which was thengiven us, and by our wilful! yieldingWe were overcome. But fince our fall we fight under the bannerof anot.her, who having fiat conquered for us , will afterward conquer inus and by us. An the great tranfa6tions and huffs of the world , which our Fathers have reported to us ,.which have filled all the Hiftories of ages, and which our eyes have feed',or our ears have heard of, are nothing but the variousadions and fucceffes of this great war, and all the perlons in the world are the fouldiers of thefe two Armies, whereof the Lord of Life , and the Prince of Darknefs are the Generals The whole Inhabited world is the field. , The great on-let of the Enemy was made upon the perfonof our Lord himfelf And as oft as he was affaulced or did affault, fooft did he overcome, In the wildernefs he had that firft appointed confl,et with Satan himfelf hand to hand : Through his whole lifeafter, he was affaulted by the inferiour fort of enemies : And a leader in his own Army ; even Teter himfelf is once reduced to be, come a Satan, Vat. 16. 22, and a Trayror yfrsias is the means of his apprehenfion, and then the blinded Jews and Rulers of his Crucifixion, and there had he the laft and greateft Confli6t ; in which when he feemed conquered he did overcome, and fo his perfonall war was finifbed. When the Captain' of our falvi- tion was thus.made perfeft through fufferings , Heb. 2. io. that he might bringmany Ions to glory, his next workwas to form his Army ;which hedid, by giving lira Commiffion to his Officers, and appointing them to gather the common fouhliers, and to fill . his bands. No fooner did they let themlelves upon the work, but Sacan fendeth forth his bands againft th:m : Perfecutors affaule them openly : and Hereticks are Traytors in their-own Scidecies, and make mutinies among the fouldiers of Chrift, and do them more mifchief by perfidiourners, then the reft could do by open hoffility. The firft fort ofthem took advantage, .By the reputati- on of Mofes Law,and the zeal ache blinded Jews for its defence. And2. from thedangers, fart:ringsand flefhly tendernefs of ma- ny prOfeffors of the Chriftian faith, which made them too ready to Ken to any Doarine that promifed thempeace and rarity in theworld ,; and as they were thernfelves a Carnali Generation, that looked after worldly glory and felicity, and could not bear perfecution for Quiff, fo were enemies to his Crofs while they

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